Sometimes it's nice to be vindicated. The Federal Trade Commission across the pond recently conducted their annual undercover shopping survey, with the result suggesting that the retail end of the video game s industry as actually the best of the numerous consumer entertainment industries in preventing the sale of mature-rated items to minors. A glance at the figures reveals a remarkable decline in sales to underage consumers, to the point where such sales hit an all-time low across the board of 13%.

The ESRB's president, Patricia Vance, responded by paying testament to the industry's retailers. 'The strong support that the ESRB ratings have enjoyed from retailers is crucial, underscoring their firm commitment to selling video games responsibly.'

While it's nice to have a few figures to fire back at the clueless buffoons who rail against the evils of video gaming, there's still some way to go, with the FTC saying that in spite of positive trends 'more needs to be done'. Are our days as Public Enemy Number 1 over? Can we finally enjoy our games in peace? Probably not, there'll be more hysterical housewives, tabloid idiots and sneering gardeners to come. But let's enjoy this little slice of #winning, eh? [FTC]